Winter Storm — Rutherford Mountains, North Carolina

2021-01-30 to 2021-01-31 · Rutherford Mountains, North Carolina

Wider weather episode

A wintry mix developed across portions of the mountains and portions of the foothills during the evening of the 30th as a frontal system moved across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Precipitation began as snow in most locations and accumulated to a couple of inches or so throughout the evening. As temperatures warmed aloft, precip transitioned to sleet, especially along and south of I-40, where heavy sleet accumulations of 1 to 2 inches were reported in some areas. A transition to freezing rain occurred before the precip ended, resulting in a light glaze of ice on top of the sleet and snow. Total snow and sleet accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches along and south of I-40, where sleet undercut the totals, to 4 to 6 inches across Avery and Mitchell Counties. Ice accretion was mostly less than a tenth of an inch.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 940770. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.